Crispy Frizzled Onions from Scratch
In the mood for something crunchy, salty, and totally addictive? These crispy frizzled onions are unbelievably good! Made from scratch with just a handful of ingredients, they're perfect on top of burgers, salads, and more. Or, serve them with aioli for an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer!
Ingredients
- 1.75 pounds sweet onions (about 2 large onions)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
- Black pepper, to taste
- Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
Equipment
- Mandoline
- 12'' skillet or heavy-bottom pot
- Candy thermometer
- Tongs
Instructions
- Peel the onions and slice them in half, leaving the root intact. Use a mandoline to cut the onions into 1/8'' slices. Place the onion slices into a shallow bowl.
- Pour the buttermilk over the top of the onions. Use tongs to make sure the onions are covered by the buttermilk as much as possible. Marinate the onions for at least 15 minutes, but preferably 1 hour. Stir the onions every once in a while to make sure they all get marinated.
- While the onions marinate, whisk the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Pour the oil into a 12'' skillet or heavy-bottom pot. Heat the oil over medium until it reaches 350-375°F. Then, place a few paper towels on a large plate and set aside.
- Once the oil is hot, use tongs to grab a handful of onions from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the onions in the flour mixture, tapping off any extra flour.
- Carefully transfer the onions into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions are golden-brown. While the onions cook, use tongs to occasionally stir the onions and break them apart.
- Once the onions are golden-brown, transfer them to the paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle them with Kosher salt, to taste. Repeat with the remaining onions. Enjoy them immediately as an appetizer or use them on sandwiches, salads, and more!
Notes
No mandoline? You can slice the onions by hand! Just try to make them all the same thickness as much as possible so they fry evenly.
If you want rings instead of strings, just slice the onion on the mandoline whole instead of halved.
If you don't have buttermilk, you can combine 2 cups of whole milk with 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar. Whisk it and let it sit for about 10 minutes until it's slightly curdled.
If you don't have a candy thermometer, test the hot oil by sprinkling a pinch of flour over the top. If it sizzles and turns golden-brown, it's ready to go! If it doesn't sizzle much, the oil is too cold. If the flour sizzles and burns, the oil is too hot.
Keep a close eye while you're frying the onions. Once they turn golden-brown, they will burn quickly!
This recipe will serve 8 as an appetizer. If you're using them as a topping for sandwiches, burgers, etc., you could get away with serving 12-16.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 163kcal, Carbohydrates: 28.5g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 3.9g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Sodium: 230mg, Potassium: 199mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1mg
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